Stock control means



Aug. 1 1939. v c.- L. CLAFF 2,167,637

STOCK CONTROL MEANS Filed Nov. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mm "'lilL.

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SEU. INC PRICE Q Aug. 1, 1939.

c. L. YCLAFF STOCK CONTROL, MEANS Filed Nov. 25, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 'IZIS ON Mal-I A.mmmmmmmmnmm;

3mm CLZ. CZaff Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITED snares FTENT GFFIQE.

7 Claims.

This invention relates to boxes of that type more especially used for holding shoes.

Heretofore it has, been the practice generally, when a sale is made in a retail store, to transfer to the sales check, usually in duplicate, the information stamped' at the factory on the label of the shoe box, one of the duplicates being given to the customer; while the other is retained by the store for purposes of sales information and also stock control. In addition to this, the box is usually returned to the shelf upside down or marked with a X. At' the end of the day, the stock number, size, width and price information on the upside down boxes is inventoried and checked against the duplicate sales checks.

Many serious errors are noted because of salesmen transposing numbers or writing so hurriedly that the figures cannot be read or are read wrong. Therefore, when actual physical inventory is go taken, great discrepancy is found between the running inventory taken from the salesmens sales checks and the actual physical inventory.

The methods heretofore followed have all been objectionable, as far as I am aware, because of the chances for error which occur and interfere with and even prevent accurate bookkeeping and inventories of stock.

An object of the present invention is to provide a means whereby an accurate check can be made by the bookkeeper or the auditing department upon all sales and the Work of the sales depart- 'ment in making an inventory of stock will be simplified greatly and rendered more accurate.

With the foregoing and other objects in View 5 which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred forms of the invention have been shown. In said drawings- Figure 1 is an end elevation of a box having the present. improvements.

Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating how the box will appear on a shelf after its contents have 50, been removed and sold.

Figure 3 is an enlarged section on line 3-3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on line 44, Figure 1. 55. Figure 5 is an end elevation of a modified form of combined label and stock control tag, the tag being of the duplicating type.

Figure 6 is an elevation showing the reverse or back side of said label.

Figure 7 is an enlarged vertical section through 5 one end of a box to which a label with a duplieating: control tag is applied.

Figure 8 shows the means employed in the method of applying adhesive to a box end preparatory to affixing the label. 10

Figure 9 shows the end of a box to which adhesive has been applied before the label has been pressed thereagainst.

Figure 10 is a detail view of a portion of the means used for applying the labels. 15

Figure 11 illustrates the label pressing operation.

Figure 12 is a detail view of another modification.

Referring to the figures by characters of ref- 2 erence, l designates a shoe box or the like of any suitable construction. One or both ends of the box can be coated with colored paper or trademark paper as shown at 2 so as to present a striking contrast, in appearance, to the labels applied to the ends of the box.

In the structure illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 inclusive, the label 3 applied to each or either end of the box has a portion thereof divided therefrom by perforated or otherwise weakened 30;

the box, the size, and the selling price.

The label 3 is aflixed to the box except back of the control tag 5. This tag therefore is free to be torn readily from the label when a sale is made and can be placed in the empty box for subsequent delivery to the bookkeeping department or can be turned in with the money paid. The empty box is then replaced upon the shelf and the contrasting color exposed through the space left by the removal of the tag will indicate clearly that the box is empty. Thus an inventory of 45 stock on hand can be made readily and those boxes to be replaced by new stock can be located easily. By the use of the means herein described there is little chance of error due to overlooking empty boxes on the shelves or failure to turn in 50.

the control tags.

Under some systems it is desirable to use duplicate control tags and in that event the device shown in Figures 5 to '7 can be employed. In this modified form the label 6 has a control tag l removable along weakened lines 8 and the tag has an extension 9 adapted to be folded into position back of the tag so as to be concealed between the tag and the end of the box. As shown in Figure 6 the back of the tag 7 can be coated with carbon or other duplicating material l and the back of the extension can be printed to provide suitably designated spaces H similar to and directly back of the corresponding spaces l2 on the front of tag 1. Thus data impressed on tag 1 at the factory or other place, will be duplicated in the spaces provided on the extension 9.

As that portion of the box end directly back of tag 7 and its folded extension 9 is free from adhesive, it will be apparent that after a sale has been made both the tag and its duplicate can be removed and the two portions used by the sales and auditing departments respectively for their records.

In Figures 8 to 11 have been illustrated the steps in the method of applying the labels 3 and 6. A cushion pad I3 preferably of soft rubber is employed to transfer adhesive to the end of the box. This pad has a flat surface of the same area and shape as that of the label to be aihxed and a recess I4 is formed in the pad to correspond in size, shape and location with the area of the front of tag 5 or 1. A roller is used to apply an adhesive to the flat surface of the pad and said surface and the end of the box I are then pressed together to coat the end of the box with adhesive l6 which, as shown in Figure 9, will leave a space I! free from adhesive and coextensive with tag 5 or 1. Thereafter a stack S of labels 3 or 6 and the gummed end of the box I are brought together to cause a label to adhere to the box and following that operation the label is pressed firmly against the end of the box by a plate P or the like.

Although it is desirable usually to employ trade-mark paper or a paper of contrasting color back of the label, the use of such paper is not always required.

Importance is attached to the fact that all of the data to be furnished the auditing and/or sales departments can be and usually is applied at the factory so that no subsequent entries are required when the sale is made by the merchant.

It will be noted that the upper or free edge of the removable tag portion of the label is located where it will be covered and protected by the end wall of the lid L of the box. Therefore there is no danger of this free edge portion and the control tag becoming torn while the closed box is being handled. However such an arrangement is not essential under all conditions. Instead the free edge of this tag portion could be located at the side of the box and an edge formed by a weakened line could be located close to the lid so as to be overhung and protected thereby. This has been shown in Figure 12 wherein the tag is indicated at I8.

What is claimed is:

1. A stock control means including a box, a labed affixed thereto having a sales control tag integral therewith, said tag being divided from the label by weakened lines to permit convenient separation of the tag from the label, duplicating means on the back of the tag, and a duplicate tag integral with said label and back of the duplicating means, the tag portions of the label being unafiixed to the box.

2. A stock control means including a box, a label having a sales control tag divided therefrom by weakened lines to facilitate removal of the tag from the label, an extension on the tag folded to position between the tax and box, a duplicating material between the tag and its extension, and an adhesive for joining the label to the box at the sides of the tag, said tag being unafiixed to the box.

3. A stock control means including a box, a covering material on one end thereof, and a label afiixed to the covering material, said label substantially concealing and being of a color differing from that of the covering material, there being a portion of the label unaflixed to the covering material and constituting a sales control tag removable from the label to expose an area of the differently colored covering material, a duplicate tag integral with the tag portion of the label and positioned between said tag portion and the covering material, and a duplicating material between the tag portion of the label and its duplicate.

4. The combination with a shoe box having a lid, of a label having a stock control tag portion integral therewith and defined by weakened lines, one edge of said tag portion being free, and an adhesive joining the box to portions of the label adjacent to the tag portion, said tag portion being free from the box and removable along the weakened lines, the free edge of the tag portion being positioned for concealment and protection by the lid of the box.

5. The combination with a paper board box, of means applied to one end of the box for substantially concealing said end, said means including a stock control tag portion integral therewith and defined by weakened lines forming opposed sides of said portion, an adhesive joining the box to portions adjacent to the tag portion, said tag portion being free from the box and having a free edge portion connecting the weakened lines, the integral tag portion being removable along the weakened lines and a flanged lid on the box, one of the flanges lapping said applied means and overhanging and protecting the upper part of the integral tag portion.

6. The combination with a shoe box having an outer thickness of material thereon, and a lid having a downturned flange, of a stock control tag portion integral with said outer thickness and divided therefrom by weakened lines, the tag portion being in contact with but unattached to the box and positioned for partial concealment and for protection by the downturned flange of the lid of the box, said tag portion extending beneath the downturned flange of the lid of the box when in place.

'7. A label for use on shoe boxes and the like comprising an integrally formed sheet having a single portion extending inwardly from an edge thereof with a duplicate extension outwardly therefrom, the inwardly extending portion being divided by weakened lines to facilitate separation from the remainder after the latter has been affixed to the box with said portion unaflixed, such separable portion and the remainder of the label being appropriately printed on the same face whereby such portion may serve as a sales control tag to be separated from the remainder to indicate an empty box and to serve as a sales check, and the back surface of the inwardly extending portion being provided with duplicating material.

CLARENCE LLOYD CLAFF. 

